A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 3
by Zane's Girlfriend
Summary: Trauma. The barrier in Zane's life. He has saved his brothers from the trap, but now is faced with a new challenge. The ninja are at a public place when someone is poisoned by mistake. Everyone thinks the target is Zane, but what if there's another ninja in danger as well? Rated T for violence and ZanexPixal romance.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A Bitter Reunion

"What was that?" Lloyd whispers.

"I…don't know," I respond, but my heart freezes. I can only hope it's not Kai, Jay, or Cole, yet the sound was certainly from a human in pain.

"Which way do we go?" Wu asks.

"Let's go towards the place where the cry came from; then we'll see," I say softly.

We all rush to the left, knowing we have hardly any time before the gunmen catch up to us and I cannot shoot more ice to stop them for five minutes. All of us burst into a widened room, lit by a single bonfire, and Cole is lying on the ground in front of it. Kai is tied up to a boulder in the rear. Blood permeates his spiky, brown hair and his head is slumped down. He is gagged. A tripod is in the middle of the room and Jay is tied to a chair, unconscious, though not gagged like the fire ninja. My heart skips a beat.

"This…is the-same," I barely make out before I sink to my knees. Terror grips me and the killer from five years ago seizes my throat, squeezing me so tightly that everything blurs in an instant.

"Zane? Zane, are you okay?" Lloyd's distant voice trails off. Black blotches start to appear in front of my eyes, and fade away, and return again. The man releases me and I immediately get up, nearly falling from a potent swoon. I stoop down, putting two fingers up to Cole's nostrils and sigh, relieved.

"He's alive," I say, my vision clearing and my strength returning.

I glance at each of my family members in turn. I cock my head, seeing Lloyd's lips are moving, but I cannot hear him and glance back to the man, who smiles, fading from the scene. Everything feels like a waking nightmare, yet I know I'm in the real world. I feel numb, almost as if I'm a phantom, revisiting my own death scene. I need to wake up. I cannot hear anything; I cannot speak; I cannot feel any longer; I cannot move. I have to. My family is here and they…need me.

"Zane, can you hear me?" Lloyd's voice becomes audible to my ears all of a sudden.

My voice returns, and so does every other sense. "Yes. Are the others alright?"

"They're fine, but Kai has been starved and beaten, I think."

"Starved and beaten," I murmur, "Starved and beaten." I've heard those words before, though from someone else. I raise my voice more audibly. "We need to get them out of here, now!"

"Shouldn't we take care of his wounds first?" Lloyd asks.

"No, we don't have any time!" I shout frantically, my shrill voice bouncing off the walls with a loud echo.

Garmadon lifts Cole onto his back while Wu unties Jay's ropes and I go over to Kai, beginning to unfasten his. "Lloyd, make sure no one comes in," I tell him.

"Okay," the green ninja responds.

Kai's bonds are tight enough I can't undo them without some kind of tool and I reach out, grabbing a stick that's on fire. I burn into the ropes, careful not to catch him on fire and put the torch back before picking Kai's limp body up. I flinch, nearly dropping him from the pain in my arm, but keep a steady grip on him. "Are we clear?" I ask.

"Yeah. It's strange, because there hasn't even been a sound," Lloyd responds, "Do you think it's a trap?"

"Trap or not, we need to get out of here," Garmadon says and we all move to the "hallway". Kai's body is cumbersome to carry yet he needs immediate medical attention or else he might not make it from blood loss alone, not including infection or perhaps even tetanus.

**2 Hours Later**

Lloyd pounds on the door of the Monastery, shouting, "Mom! It's us! Open the door! Mom, help us!"

I hear a heavy bolt being slid and the metal and wooden door groans. "Lloyd?" Pixal comes out and gasps, "What happened to you?"

"I…don't know. No one stopped us from saving them and we found them in this condition," I respond.

"Come in," Pixal lets us in and I place Kai on the table I had been on mere hours ago.

Marcy and Misako quickly set to work on him and both Sensei Wu and Garmadon put the other two ninja in Lloyd's room. I sit in the living room, waiting anxiously for news of them while Pixal cleans my grazed arm and Lloyd sits on the couch across from us. "What happened back there?" Lloyd asks.

"What do you mean?" I respond.

"You were acting strange and you kept muttering something about how 'this…is the-same.' You acted like something like this happened before. What exactly is going on?"

"It did happen!" I blurt out, startling Pixal. She knocks onto my wound, jumping in surprise at my sudden loudness.

"Ah!" I gingerly touch my bloody arm.

"What happened?" Lloyd demands.

I draw in a deep breath before saying, "I saw what happened to Kai's parents. They died, the same way."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A Cold Murder

"W-what do you mean?" Lloyd stutters.

"Do you remember the way Cole was positioned?" I respond.

"In front of the bonfire, right?"

"Yes. That's the way Kai's mom was positioned, but she had a fatal stab wound to her heart. I don't know the precise details about his father though. The first as well as the last time I saw him alive was in that cave, fighting an armed woman. Even though Nya identified their bodies, I did not see how he was killed."

"How old were you then?" Pixal asks as she finishes tying my bandage.

"Thirteen."

"So Nya was eleven?" I nod.

Something shatters and I look behind me to see Kai's younger sister, holding Emma in her hands, on the verge of tears. Broken fragments of what-I-presume-was a cup are on the floor. "Y-you were…there," she makes out.

Melissa comes from behind her and puts a hand on the sorrowful mother's shoulder. "Sit down," she tells her softly.

The two mothers sit on the couch, next to Lloyd, and I continue the painful story, refraining from crying. A lump forms in my throat. "Kai's father protected us from the woman, but as we ran away, several other people pursued us. We escaped, yet were only orphans."

"Wait a minute," Nya interrupts me, "Why didn't you say anything to my brother and I about the matter before?"

"I didn't know about it until the day after I found I was a robot."

"I remember. That's when you started having sudden attacks and became unconscious for a week," she says.

"Yes. A kindly old lady and a young girl took me in and the girl had a brother, named Jason."

"Yes…it's becoming clearer. I remember the name and the teen Jason picked on you in school," Nya interrupts again. I can't blame her for it.

"That was not all he did. He abused me whenever he had the opportunity."

"He abused you?" Lloyd exclaims.

"How?" Melissa asks.

I draw in another deep breath. This is going to be harder than I expected and my eyes are already watering. "He would…beat me and he…slashed my arm…with a knife, and wouldn't let anyone know what was going on. His sweet sister, Jane, was oblivious to the abuse, even until the day she…" I pause, my voice straining. I put my head in my hands, vividly remembering her limp, bloody form in my arms.

"It's okay. Take your time, Zane," Pixal tells me, gently patting my back. I quietly look at her through my hands, seeing a compassionate woman, full of pity, yet filled with love.

I put my hands back down and smile sadly. "She…was murdered and so was her grandmother, by invaders."

"What!" everyone exclaims in unison.

"What happened after that?" Lloyd asks.

"Kai and Nya saved me by killing two of them. I…killed the last one and that's all I could remember."

No one says anything. Pixal takes my hand in hers and touches my face, turning me towards her. "None of it was your fault. It was self-defense." I cannot hold the tears any longer and they come, a constant stream. Pixal brings my head slowly down and I lie on her lap, silently crying with my eyes shut. I hear shuffling and the others must be leaving. I'm glad I'm alone with Pixal. "Everything's going to be okay," she reassures me in a soothing tone, "You're okay."

She is so warm, so full of love, a feeling I have never known like this since my father passed. Of course, my brothers and sister love me, but not in the same way. Perhaps everything will be okay, after all.

**No P.O.V.**

A woman gazes through her binoculars, her long, brown hair dangling in front of her face. She moves it out of the way, seeing Zane lying in Pixal's lap while Lloyd, Melissa, and Nya, holding Emma, leave the room. "Perfect."

"When shall we strike?" Jason asks.

"Not now. We need to wait until they are off guard."

"When will that be?"

"Soon."

"In a week maybe?" Jason suggests.

The woman smiles as she puts the binoculars back around her neck, and says, "Yes."

**Zane P.O.V.**

**A Week Later**

I lie on my bed, reading a book about poisonous plants, not that I am paranoid about being poisoned or any such thing. It's just a matter of interest and will keep my mind off the recent incidents. No more activity has occurred and my gash is mostly healed. I'm not certain if that is good or bad, but I can only hope it's the former.

"Zane?" Pixal pokes her head through the white door.

I set my book next to me and sit up, but my head meets the top bunk. "Ouch," I say flatly, rubbing my head.

Pixal chuckles and asks "Do you want me to make it better?"

I nod sheepishly and she ambles to me, stooping over. She kisses my head with soft lips, before a knock comes at the door.

"Hey Zane!" Lloyd skips into the room without being permitted in, but oh well. It's his room too. "Oh, am I interrupting you two?"

Pixal pulls away, blushing, and I respond, "No. What is it?"

"Um…what was it? Oh!" Lloyd snaps his fingers, a habit I can't stand. "This pretty brunette handed me several invitations to go to a restaurant!"

I furrow my brows. This does sound suspicious and I ask him, "Why? Do you know her?"

"No, but she said she's doing this to honor us for saving the city again."

"Oh, okay."

"She invited Pixal too," Lloyd tells us.

"Okay. Do you want to go?" I turn to my first love.

Pixal nods, beaming. "Yes. I would certainly love to."

She left the room and the boys and I got ready. We had to wear nice clothing, so I put on navy blue pants, and a white dress shirt with a tie the same color as my pants. I exit the door to bump into the girls. Pixal…she's beautiful. She wears a light purple, Grecian dress that has one strap, exposing two thin, perfectly figured shoulders. It goes to a little above her knee and the bottom slants to the left. The dress has a section of lace close to the edge, showing a bit more of her legs. She wears a pair of white heart earrings and a silver necklace just like it.

"Do you like it?" she asks folding her hands shyly.

I feel my face heat up and I can only nod. The other girls laugh and I hear Jay's voice behind me, "Zane, will you let us out?"

"Oh, sorry," I say and move out of the way, "Are you well enough to come?" I ask Kai as he comes out.

"It's not active, so if I'm careful, I should be okay," the fire ninja responds.

**So…a week later means the beginning of Jason's new plan. Please R&R! :) Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Traumatic Knowledge**

"Wow!" Lloyd exclaims as we enter the restaurant and are greeted by a girl dressed as a maid, "She spared no expense!"

I tug at Lloyd's green sleeve, mouthing the words, 'don't shout'. I slip my hand into Pixal's and observe the area, drinking in the exquisite details. Most of the entire place is a velvety red including the walls, chair cushions, tablecloths, waiter uniforms, throw rugs that go under the table, and even some of the ornate porcelain decorations. The entire place is vacant, besides the staff and one table in particular.

A waiter directs us to the long table with two-dozen velvety chairs, outlined in gold thread. Pixal and I go to the far end and I pull a chair out for her. She smiles, sitting down, and says softly, "Thank you, Zane." We all sit on one side, across from our gracious host and her guests in this order from farthest to nearest: Kai, Melissa, Marcy, Jay, Cole, Sensei Wu, Sensei Garmadon, Lloyd, another guest who I do not know, Pixal, and I.

Nya is staying at the Monastery to baby sit Emma and Misako is keeping her company.

Little figurines are lined up on shelves, against most parts of the wall. One in particular draws my attention. A delicate woman, wearing a white and purple dress with silver trimmings, is on her knees, holding a man in her thin arms. The man's blond hair and face resembles mine in an eerie manner, and he is pale, almost to the point of being white. His mouth is agape and his body is permeated in blood. A knife is plunged in his chest and several other figures are gathered around him, tears running down the face of a man dressed in blue. The others are dressed in red, green, and black, and the one they are mourning for is wearing white. I shudder, wondering if I'm just being too suspicious or is this representing us, with me dead.

_A scene flashes in front of my face on the table. A phantom of me is holding two golden handles with sharp, black edges that connect to a giant machine, with a hideous creature on it, somehow resembling the Overlord. Jay is below, screaming at me, "Zane! Let go!"_

_"__Zane is protecting us," Sensei says to my brothers and they back away, fading from the scene. A portion of my face falls off and I struggle to hold onto the pieces._

_"__You fool! Let go!" the creature shouts, trying to get me to release him._

Pain rips through my heart and I flinch, nearly crying out from the sudden assault on my body.

Pixal touches my shoulder and asks, "Are you okay?"

"Where is the restroom?" I ask the waiter. He points to the right and I leave the table as quickly as I dare. The scene is so vivid, so painful. I stumble into the men's room, and lean against the sink, trying as hard as I can to keep from screaming. I hold a hand over my heart. I want to open my chest up and see what's wrong, but I realize the truth. I'm a human. I had always wanted to be the same as my family, yet now…I want to be a Nindroid again.

_I hear my voice straining as I proclaim, "A…ninja…never…quits!" Ice covers the nasty Overlord-like thing, and blinding light flashes in an instant. The scene changes to Cyrus Borg, wheeling his chair over to a cloth that he pulls off a large object, revealing a titanium statue of…myself. I see his lips moving, but cannot hear what is said, and my falcon perches on the statue's arm. My family comes up in front of it, looking quite solemn. Even Jay has his head down and is silent, without a trace of happiness._

_The scene changes again to Pixal in the main room of the Borg tower, crying hysterically, and hugging her body close to herself, all alone._

"Pixal, what's the matter?" I reach out to touch her, but hand slips right through her.

_The computers turn on of their own accord, and it shows the first thing Pixal ever said to me._

_"__You are Zane," she states, "a droid like me. What does Zane, stand for?"_

_"__I stand for peace, freedom, and courage in the face of all who threaten Ninjago," I respond on the computer._

_Pixal's face brightens and she rushes out the room, to the factory door, which opens for her, also of its own will. She runs onto the automatic belt and she is brought into the middle of the room. The machines approach her gently and a slightly monotone voice asks her, "Are we…compatible now?"_

My knees buckle and give way. That voice…is mine. I hear footsteps approaching the bathroom, and I get up, turning the left knob of the faucet under the false pretence of washing my hands. The man that had been sitting next to Lloyd enters, passing by me.

"Ah!" I yank my hands away from the water and immediately turn it off. I had put the hot water on, but now that I am human, I cannot tolerate that much heat.

I dry my hands with a white towel before returning to my seat, where the appetizers have already been laid out for us. Lloyd is in a deep conversation with a brunette in a red dress. She is our host, I suppose. I resume my seat, next to a quiet Pixal. "Are you not hungry?" I ask.

"Not really," she responds, smiling.

I look down at my plate and notice two unusual foods. The first is chanterelle a mushroom that is only used in special places, though perhaps I ought to say the food is rare. The next is Queen Anne's lace, a delectable wild carrot. I had been reading about its poisonous look-alike prior to leaving the Monastery, though I haven't reached the part about their differences."

The vivid scene has left me no appetite, so I don't touch the food at all and listen to Lloyd's conversation instead. The guest leans across Pixal and asks, "Are you going to eat that?" I shake my head and hand him the plate. After close to a half hour, Pixal, Victoria (our host), and I are in a deep conversation about the poisonous plants.

"What would you consider the most toxic plant you are aware of?" Victoria asks.

"It would be…hemlock I suppose," I respond, "It can act up in approximately thirty minutes and kill you within several hours, even if you merely touch it to your mouth. It is found abundantly throughout the populated areas of Ninjago and is easily mistaken as Queen Anne's lace. There was once a philosopher named Socrates that claimed the earth was round, so he was given hemlock as a punishment."

"Oh? What are the symptoms?" Pixal asks curiously.

"The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a weak pulse, weakness, nervousness, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, tremors, dilated pupils, and increased salivation."

"That would be a terrible way to pass," Lloyd comments.

"I forgot to introduce you to my nephew, Clive," Victoria motions to an empty seat, next to Pixal. "Where did he go?"

"Do you mean the heavy man with red hair?" I inquire.

Lloyd gives me a reprimanding look. "Yes," Victoria says.

"He went to the restroom a few moments ago," I notify her.

"That's odd. He went there only a half hour ago," Sensei Garmadon notes.

"I'll go check on him, if you would like ma'am," Lloyd offers, pushing his chair back, and getting up.

"Would you, please?"

"Hey, ninja are here for the people right?" Lloyd smiles before heading to the men's room.

"I've been intending to ask you, what does that figurine represent over there?" I point to the one that had deeply disturbed me earlier.

"Oh," Victoria pushes her red, framed glasses father up the bridge of her pale nose, "That is-"

A loud crashing sound from the men's room throws away all thoughts of continuing the discussion and all of us are quickly on our feet, heading to where the noise was. I go to the door, grabbing the handle, and push. It's locked. "Cole, can you get this open?" I ask.

"No problem," he responds, "Back up everyone." We back away as he shouts, "Earth!"

He sends a blast of dirt from his hands, breaking the door open, and we all pile in the room. "Lloyd!" we all scream in unison.

"Clive!" Victoria exclaims.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A Royal Poison

"Lloyd!" I shout a second time. The green ninja is lying on the ground, gasping for air, and Clive is on top of him, holding a rope in his thick hands.

"Lloyd, can you hear me?" Sensei Garmadon asks as I roll the big man off my brother with slight difficulty. My mouth drops open in horror, seeing the rope is partially around the boy's throat and there is a red and purple mark on him, most likely from attempted strangulation.

Lloyd coughs violently for a few seconds before responding, "He tried to strangle me! He put this around my throat!" The ninja yanks the cord from around his neck and throws it to the side.

"What's wrong with him?" Melissa points to Clive, who is vomiting, and is holding his stomach, writhing.

I don't know why I am doing this, but I grab his wrist, a bit forcefully, and take his pulse. It's weak. I check his eyes and find the pupils dilated. Saliva drips from his mouth, and his body tremors violently. My eyes widen as I realize what the symptoms are from. "What's the matter, Zane?" Marcy asks, a hint of anger mixed with fear in her voice.

I ignore her and question Clive, "Do you have any abdominal pain?"

The man nods before throwing up again, on my shirt. "Zane, what is wrong with him?" Victoria demands, sobbing.

"It is most likely hemlock poisoning," I announce.

"Get him to the hospital, now!" Victoria screams frantically and several of the other guests get Clive to bring him there.

**Five Hours Later**

I sit quietly by the phone in the Monastery, waiting patiently for news of the man who attempted to murder my brother, after having taken a shower and changed. I still smell the stench from the puke. I have so many questions to ask him. Everyone else is impatient, and I mean everyone, even Sensei Wu. Kai is drumming his fingers on the countertop, glancing around occasionally while Jay is explaining what happened to Nya, who is holding a sleeping Emma. Pixal is at the Borg tower researching the plant. Cole is pacing the kitchen for the approximate thirty-fifth time and Both Sensei are discussing something. Marcy, Melissa, and Misako are tending to Lloyd's strangulation bruise, yet this does not compute.

If Clive wants to murder Lloyd, why would he bother both poisoning as well as strangling him? It would be less of a hassle to feed him the poison and let him die, but _he himself_ ended up the poisoned one. Wait! He asked me for my plate and ate Queen Anne's lace, but what if it was hemlock? I rush to my shared room and grab the book on poisonous plants, quickly flipping to the two pages on hemlock. My eyes survey the pages and I spot the differences between the deadly plant and its look-alike. I rush back out into the kitchen and say, "Guys, listen to this!"

"What is it?" Pixal asks as she enters the Monastery.

I respond, "It's about the differences between hemlock and Queen Anne's lace.

"Small crimson or purple flowers are in the very center of each bloom. The stem on the edible plant is hairy and green, without any discolorations. The hemlock, on the other hand, has a stem without hairs and has some purple or black spots and possibly streaks. The scent is the most prominent as well as important method of determining whether or not it is the right one. Queen Anne's lace has a carrot smell, but the smell of the fatal hemlock is musty," I read aloud.

"The room was heavily perfumed." Kai points out, "Maybe someone else tried to cover the smell."

"Great thinking, Kai," Melissa comes up and rubs her husband's shoulders, the living room not being far from the kitchen. He turns her to face him, beaming. _Boy, she certainly must have stroked his ego. _

"Thanks dear," he says, planting a kiss on Melissa's cheek.

"I noticed though that Clive ate from my plate as well. My appetizer did smell strange, yet I did not take notice of it at the time," I tell them.

"Great thinking, _Zane_," Pixal compliments me, giving me a pop kiss on my cheek and stares at Melissa for a few moments.

Soon, we all burst out laughing, even me. Despite the recent incidents, everyone is still cheerful, and that is a wonderful thing for, humans, and droids. Pixal's beaming face brings the memory of her crying in the Borg tower back to my mind, and I push the thought away. _Later. Now's not the time._

The phone rings and Kai instantly picks it up. "This is the Garmadon's residence. Clive? How is he?"

We all tense up at the man's name, listening intently to the conversation from Kai's side, of course. "Yeah? What!" he exclaims and I instantly am on feet, waiting to know what's going on. Did Clive survive or did he die? "I understand. Thank you," Kai says and hangs up.

"Is he okay?" Lloyd asks anxiously.

Kai takes a deep breath before announcing to us, "No. He is dying. Victoria told me he needs us to come over immediately. He has something to tell us."

**AN: Thank you for the R&R's. :) Please keep it up. It is extremely encouraging. I wanted to ask you all if I am too slow with the pace of the story, or am I usually too fast?**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Last Words

"We are looking for Clive Herman. Which room is he in?" Kai asks the lady at the front desk of the hospital.

All of us crowd around her, waiting anxiously as she responds, "Give me a moment please." She flips through quite a few papers before notifying us, "He's in room 2406."

"Thank you," I say and turn to Kai, Jay, and Cole, "Would you please park the hover cars for us?"

"No problem," Kai responds before heading out with Jay and Cole trailing behind.

"I'll go too," Nya says while patting a sleeping Emma's back. I smile, watching the little angel. _She is such a good child. It's too bad Pixal and I won't have one._

"Wait for me!" Melissa exclaims, catching up with her husband and taking his hand.

"Let us know if anything happens!" the earth ninja calls as we walk briskly to the elevator.

I turn, giving him a nod before pressing on a silver button with an arrow pointing upwards. After several minutes of waiting and tapping my foot on the white floor, the doors slowly slide open, only to reveal an elevator, with five other people, including a hospital patient, holding an IV. "Let's split up," Sensei Wu tells us.

Lloyd and I enter the crowded elevator, squeezing in the front and the others move to another one. "Which floors?" Lloyd asks.

"24," the male patient responds. Everyone else is silent, so I suppose we're all going for the same one and I press the number button. The doors shut and I feel the floor drop slightly before ascending, wondering how the actual elevator looks. The patient begins coughing and drops the IV, falling on all fours.

"Are you alright?" I stoop over, moving to examine him when Lloyd shouts, "Knife!"

I see a flash of light from the metal and leap away as the man does a quick up thrust with the blade, narrowly missing my abdomen. He yanks the needle out of the IV and rushes at me as the elevator lights go out.

"What's going on?" I hear a little girl scream, "Mommy! Help me!"

I back up, slamming my body into the wall, feeling a slight pain in my face, the needle grazing my left cheek. I grab his arm, twisting it downwards and another man, disguised as a nurse, throws a kick at me. I move to the right, shoving the first attacker into him. Both weapons clatter on the slippery floor and I glance back quickly and can barely make out Lloyd fighting someone else. A little girl is banging on the elevator doors, screaming. "Help us! Help us!"

The lights come back on; then back off, flashing constantly, and making things difficult to see, but they turn off again. The men reach for the weapons and I kick them out of the way, closer to Lloyd, who is slamming another "nurse" into the opposite wall. I do a speedy sweep with my left leg into the "patient's", knocking him to the floor as the other man dives for me, wrapping both thick arms around my mid-section. He shoves me, still holding on, into Lloyd, knocking the green ninja on the floor. Resisting him is of no use, so I need to do something else, lickety-split, before we're both dead. I grab the man by his shoulders, and twist to the side, slamming him into the assailant Lloyd had been fighting.

The other two people in casual attire must be back up, because both whirl around to attack us after the other men are down, at least I believe they are. They both pull out knives as I help Lloyd up. The green ninja whips into his tornado, knocking the two down in a flash of light. If only Pixal were here, I could have done Spinjitzu and helped by brother, but I can't keep harping on that fact. It feels terrible sometimes, as well as wonderful, to be a human, especially after the fight. The beneficial feelings are that I can sweat to cool down and I feel…alive, with the adrenaline pumping throughout my body. If I had been injured, on the other hand, that would have been a horrible feeling after the adrenaline wore off, especially since I have to take a long time to heal instead of being repaired in mere minutes.

The lights come on and I see the little girl, who is crouched in a corner, sobbing. "Are you okay?" I ask her. She nods. "Where's your mommy?"

She sniffles and responds, "She told me to meet her at floor 24, having me go with that nurse."

"What's your name?" Lloyd questions softly.

"Crystal. I'm six."

_Oh my goodness. Why would any mother drop her six-year-old with a complete stranger, especially a man? _"Listen, we're the ninja. We will get you to your mommy. Come here."

"Yay!" the girl exclaims, running into my arms, only being around the height of my hip and I'm 5' 10" "Zane!"

"Is he your favorite ninja?" Lloyd asks while patting her blond head.

She nods and says, "Yeah, but I like you too."

My brother smiles, "How come you're in the hospital?"

"Well…my daddy got bit by a snake."

"A snake? I hope he's okay," I respond.

"He will because Mommy said he's going to heaven."

Lloyd and I exchange glances. This poor little girl is so young, even younger than I was when I lost my memory and my father passed. The doors slide open, revealing a woman, with blond hair like Crystal, holding her arms out. I squint from the sudden lights as the girl lets go of me and bolts into her mom's arms. "Mommy, I met the ninja!"

Her mom takes her by the hand and leads her away, after saying a curt, "Thank you." Her eyes were red and puffy, so perhaps he already passed. Kai, Jay, Melissa, Nya, holding Emma, and Cole all appear from the stairs next to us as we exit our elevator.

"Hey, you know you could have taken the stairs using Spinjitzu instead of the elevator, slowpoke," Jay says to us. His words sting me. I can't do it anymore, and perhaps I am merely a burden to my brothers.

Nya pinches Jay and he gives a small yelp. "Ouch! What was that for?" His wife mouths something to him and he turns to me, looking apologetic. "Sorry Zane."

"It's alright brother," I reply.

The others come out of the other elevator. "Zane, what happened to your face?" Pixal points at me.

"Oh," I touch my left cheek, "I…uh…Lloyd and I we're attacked on the elevator.

"Yeah, that's why I'm keeping my foot in the door, so it won't close," Lloyd notifies us and requests, "Could you call security, please?"

"Sure. Go on ahead without us," Garmadon, Misako, and Wu leave hastily.

"Okay guys. We need to go to room six," Cole announces.

"Cole?" Jay says.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"You passed it already."

"Oh, sorry," the earth ninja moves a few steps back and I knock softly on the white door, leaving Lloyd with his foot in between the elevator doors.

Victoria opens it, tears streaking her pale face, and says, "Come in, all of you. He wants you, Zane."

_Why would he want me? Perhaps to tell me why he was attempting to murder Lloyd or me? _I take a chair next to the bed, where Clive is attached to various tubes. An IV is in his wrist and a heart rate monitor beeps slowly, sending a chill down my spine. Something is covering his mouth to replenish oxygen in his lungs and he reaches a trembling hand to me.

I don't know why, but I take it, and lean in closely as the man strains to speak. "You…are a…target," he coughs a few times before continuing in a languishing voice, "Two…d-different…t-t-targets. T-two…different…killers; a-and…r-r-rem-member, t-the…r-r-red…eyes." His hand slips from my grasp and the heart monitor goes flat.

**AN: I did put a flat monitor because that is what would happen, but whenever I write something like that, it makes me think of Zane... :(**

**Please R&R! :) 0* I don't know why I put that. Maybe because I wanted to try making an ice cream with symbols. _That was random._**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Morphine?

**AN: Warning! Detailed puking ahead! In case you want to skip that part, I sectioned it off with two lines.**

**In the Hover Car**

I put my head in my hands, feeling overwhelmed by the unusual things that have taken place recently. I am still perplexed by both the strange, vivid scenes, and Clive's last words. _You are a target. Two different targets. Two different killers; and remember the red eyes. What does that mean? _

"You okay?" Kai asks from the driver's seat.

"Yes…I'm fine. I'm merely perplexed by the dying message," I respond.

"Yeah, I didn't get it either," Lloyd says from the passenger seat.

Pixal and I are in the back, and she sets a delicate hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. We will figure it out. Just rest for a bit and I'll wake you up when we arrive at our destination."

"Thank you, Pixal," I smile, setting my hands on my legs, and lean against her shoulder, closing my eyes. She's so calm, so caring that I feel all my concerns dissipate, and I feel myself drift to sleep, filled with peace and…love.

_"__Zane, where are you?" I hear Pixal's voice calling me, sounding quite concerned, perhaps even anxious._

_"__Zane, answer us!" Jay shouts._

_"__Zane, please wake up!" I hear several voices calling me frantically and my eyes shoot open._

"I'm here!" I respond, only to find everyone staring at me, back in the Monastery. "Wait! Wasn't I-"

"Where were you?" Jay exclaims, "We thought you were crazy!"

"Jay," Nya tugs at his sleeve, "Stop it. He just woke up."

"Jay's concerned, that's all," Lloyd adds in, before turning to me, "What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?" I ask, perplexed, "Um…do you mind backing up a bit so I can sit up?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," Melissa responds as everyone makes space for me.

"That's okay," I tell her as I push myself on one elbow on the couch, feeling abnormally drowsy, and I sway.

"You okay?" Cole asks as he and Lloyd help me sit. A sharp pain shoots through my abdomen and I touch it, feeling sick as well.

"What's wrong?" Sensei Wu questions me.

"I feel abnormally drowsy and there's pain in my stomach," I respond, "Do you have any water? My mouth is dry for some reason."

"Sure. I'll go get it," Kai says, and heads for the kitchen.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Lloyd asks.

"Yeah, why did you leave the hover car?" Jay chimes in.

"Hover car," I repeat the words, trying to remember where I was last, "Hover car…"

"Well?" Cole says.

"Oh, I remember," I tell them, "We we're in the hover car when…" I pause. Everything is somewhat hazy, as if the events took place a long time ago.

"When what?" Sensei Garmadon presses.

"I…fell asleep after talking to Pixal, on her shoulder."

"Well? Go on," Kai urges me as he comes over and hands me a glass of water.

I gulp all of the cool liquid down in mere seconds before continuing. "All I remember is that you guys were calling me for a while, and then I woke up or something like that."

"But if that's the case, then why did we find you on the ground next to the car with the door open?" Misako asks.

"What?" I exclaim, becoming a little more concerned.

"Yeah, you sounded like Ian Malcom from Michel Crichton's book called…" Lloyd thinks for a moment. "Ah! It was in The Lost World, where the Malcom was injected with Morphine and he went a bit out of it."

"Crichton?" I repeat, not familiar with the name.

"How could you not know who he is? He's one of the authors with the best-selling novels in adult fiction!"

"Lloyd, aren't you a little young for his books?" Marcy says crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I've read three of his books and they're pretty gruesome," Melissa adds.

"Um…" Lloyd runs a hand through his wavy, blond hair nervously and smiles sheepishly, "I know, but they're so cool!"

"Where did you get the books anyway?" Nya asks suspiciously.

"From the library," Lloyd responds a little too hastily.

"You don't have a library card."

"Wait a minute! When did I say that I read more than one?"

Kai smirks and notifies the green ninja, "You said they're so cool, not it's so cool."

"Where did you get it from?" Jay demands.

"Uh…I-um…I borrowed it from Kai's collection."

"Then where is it? I've been looking everywhere for it!" Kai exclaims.

"The Ultra Dragon…got it." Lloyd points to the trash can and bolts away from a fuming Kai.

"Lloyd, when I get my hands on you I'm going to-" the fire ninja is cut off by Jay.

"Stop it you two!" he shouts, "We're supposed to be helping Zane here! Hello? Is anyone home in there?" Jay walks up to Kai and Lloyd, who are both pulling each other's hair, and whacks both of them in the head.

"Hey!" Lloyd rubs his head.

"Stay out of it, Jay," Kai warns him.

_That's it. _I get off the table as Cole, Melissa, Nya, and both Sensei get entangled in the argument. Once my bare feet touch the tatami mat on the floor; however, my legs weaken and I barely stop myself from falling over. My stomach churns and I feel this odd sensation, making me want to be rid of something…something being the contents of whatever I consumed, though I haven't eaten much in the last few days. My head aches violently. Pixal, Misako, and Marcy also go to stop the argument and I rush to the nearest bathroom, not having felt this horrible, ever.

* * *

I quickly open the toilet lid, getting on my knees, and lean over it. The shouting in the Monastery is making everything far worse as my world spins in constant circles and I feel something coming up my throat, something warm and scratchy. I open my mouth as the stuff comes forcefully up my throat, emptying it out into the toilet. Someone opens the door and I turn to see Melissa, with one hand on her stomach, the other on her mouth. When she sees me she quickly leaves, shutting the door behind her. _Do women always throw up when their pregnant? That must be awful. _I feel another round coming up and immediately expel more of the bitter tasting stuff. After several more times of this, I wipe my mouth, flush the toilet, and lie on the cold, white tile, feeling sick, and achy.

* * *

_Do all humans put up with this? Why am I so sick though? _I shut my eyes, hoping to fall asleep and be rid of the pain as well as sickness, but it does not come.

More sharp pain shoots up my abdomen and something comes across my mind. I quickly sit up and lift my casual T-shirt, seeing a needle mark in my mid-section. _Is this…Morphine?_

**AN: Sorry guys! I was grossed out merely writing about that part, but it's one of the Morphine injection side-effects, so it was inevitable. Anyway, please R&R my dear audience! Thank you! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A Chilling Recollection

The noise has subsided, but now I hear the others calling me again. I don't want to answer. I want to be alone and I lie back down. My aching head feels a little better on the cool tile and my stomach has improved somewhat; yet something nags at the back of my mind. If only things weren't so hazy, I might be able to recollect and piece together what has been going on, but I can't remember anything, except for…the car stopping, and Pixal telling me something.

_"__I'll be right back. Just stay here, okay?" she confirms._

_I nod sleepily before shutting my half-lidded eyes, and leaning on the door. An electric hum catches my attention and I sit up with my eyes open, peering out the window._

"Zane, are you in there?" I hear a knock and Lloyd's voice on the other side of the door. I merely lift my head as he comes in and exclaims, "Woah! What are you doing? You okay? Hello?"

"No," I groan, clutching my stomach in agony.

"What's wrong?"

"Morphine."

"What? How did you get that?"

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to remember what happened," I say.

"Oh sorry. Do you need anything?" Lloyd asks kind-heartedly.

"For what?"

"Your stomach."

"Yes please."

"Let me first check and see if you have a fever."

"A fever?" I ask. Though I've heard of it before, I obviously don't know what it feels like to have one.

"Yeah." Lloyd gets a thermometer from the medicine cabinet on the wall, pulling green lid off a plastic tube. He takes out a glass object with lines and numbers on it and brings it up to my mouth. "Ah!" he says.

"What do you-" He shoves the thermometer in my mouth and looks at his wristwatch.

"Keep it under your tongue for three minutes," Lloyd instructs me as Kai and Jay come through the doorway.

"You okay?" Kai asks as Jay bolts away from the bathroom, shouting out that he's fine.

I point at the thermometer protruding from my mouth and shake my head. After three minutes Lloyd removes it and stares at it for a moment before reading aloud, "103.6 degrees."

"Is that bad?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah," Cole says as he comes up behind the other two, "It's kind of bad."

"What will happen to me?" I sit up and clutch Lloyd's arm in fear.

The guys burst out laughing and Kai says, "You'll be fine, just a little sick, that's all. We'll just give you some Tylenol."

"Okay…when? Wait!" I shout, making Lloyd and Cole jump.

"Don't shout please. You scared us to death!" Lloyd says.

"What is it?" Kai asks.

"I think I was injected with Morphine so I do not think it is wise to give me any medicine," I inform my brothers.

"What?" Kai and Cole exclaim.

"So I was right!" Lloyd turns on the water and washes the thermometer over the sink thoughtfully.

"But how do you know?" Kai questions me.

"I have the symptoms and an injection hole in my abdomen," I respond while lifting my shirt for them to see.

"What? How did this happen?" Lloyd asks.

"Who did this?" Cole demands out of concern.

"I would like to know more than any of you, believe me," I tell them.

"I'm back. Are you okay Zane?" Jay's brown hair appears behind Lloyd's blond hair.

"I'm okay," I say, hoping to convince him, but no one buys it.

"Uh, sure you are. Yeah, being injected with Morphine, vomiting, having a fever of 103 degrees, and forgetting what even happened to you is not concerning in the slightest," Kai sarcastically remarks.

"What?" Jay exclaims.

"Would you please give me some time alone, to think about what took place, please?" I request.

"Okay. Do you want us to take you to your room?" Lloyd asks.

"Yes please."

The green ninja sets the thermometer down on the sink as Kai scoops me up in his arms with minor difficulty, carrying me to the room next to us. He sets me on the white bed, slipping the blanket from under me, and covers me with it. "Do you need anything?" Kai asks.

"Water, please."

"Okay. I've got it," Kai responds as he leaves the room we five share. Jay and Cole enter the former with paper towels and the latter with a bucket. Both set them down next to the bed and leave while Lloyd and Pixal come in and Kai returns with the water glass I had used.

My first love kneels beside the bed, and gently takes my left hand, speaking in her soft, feminine tone. "How are you feeling?"

"I always feel better when I see your face, or hear your lovely voice, or even feel your presence," I respond with a weak smile.

She runs a hand through my blond hair, chuckling. "Smooth talker."

"Well, I have always made my point right away."

"I'll stay with you. Now, get some sleep," she tells me and gives me a quick kiss on my forehead.

I feel my face heat up and Lloyd points at me. "Oh! Zane's embarrassed!"

I ignore him as I feel sleep coming upon me and I shut my eyes.

_"__I'll be right back. You stay here, okay?" Pixal confirms._

_I nod sleepily before shutting my half-lidded eyes, and leaning on the door. An electric hum catches my attention and I sit up with my eyes open, peering out the window. Nothing. I shut my eyes and lie back down, across the seat this time before hearing the door open. "Pixal, what were you doing out there?" I ask. No response._

_I open my eyes only to see a black cloth cover my face and head. "What are you doing? No!" I scream as four hands grab hold of my legs and four hands grasp my arms. I kick and hit something hard, something that feels like a skull. Someone cries out and I feel a sharp pain as something pierces my abdomen. It is wrenched out after a few moments and a fist hits my head. Everything goes blacker than before._

My eyes open to reveal the beige ceiling of the Monastery room and I sit up slowly to avoid upsetting my stomach. Pixal is asleep in a chair, leaning on the bed when the door to the room opens. "Sorry to get you up. The police want to speak with you," Lloyd tells me.

**AN: Thank you for the reviews. :) I keep forgetting to mention that Socrates was a real greek philosopher and that he was executed by eating hemlock. The information on hemlock and Queen Anne's lace is all true. The former can kill you even if you touch the plant to your mouth so it's best to know how to identify them properly.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Phone Call

Two detectives enter the room as I sit up with slight difficulty. They both have note pads and pencils in their hands, probably to make notes of what I tell them. The first man is tall with broad shoulders, wearing a casual black shirt and jeans with a few noticeable holes in them. His short, black hair is a mess, showing that he either cares about his job, or he's lazy. Judging by his tan and scarred arms and hands, he most likely cares more about his detective work. The second man is a complete contrast in more ways than merely looks and attire. He is shorter and his blond hair looks like it's been gelled often. He is wearing a navy blue dress shirt, and his hands are smooth and white. I also notice that his nails are trimmed, not that that means he doesn't care about his work. It could represent an individual that does care about his appearance.

"Zane Julien, I am detective George," the taller one says to me." I give him an attentive nod before the other man introduces himself.

"I am detective Harris." I give him a nod as well.

"Where were you between 5:30 and 10:00 P.M. the night of Clive's murder?" George asks, readying his pencil.

"I was here at 5:30 P.M. with my family and friends, until we all departed at 8:00 and drove to the restaurant. We arrived at his murder scene at 9:30 before Lloyd discovered him."

"We have confirmed your alibis already and they check out. Did you know the deceased?" George asks, scribbling notes down on his pad.

"No," I respond.

"How did you know his aunt, Victoria?"

"I didn't know her. Lloyd told me she invited us for dinner in order to thank us for saving Ninjago."

"What happened while you were there? Did you see anyone suspicious?" Harris questions me.

I tell the detectives about my suspicions and the hemlock, as well as the attempted strangling by Clive. After many notes, both men thank me and depart. All the while Pixal sleeps undisturbed in the slightest, and finally awakes right as they leave. "You're awake," she says to me, smiling brightly, "Would you like me to get you anything?"

"No thank you. Just go sleep in your room," I respond, glancing at the analog clock above me that reads 5:45. "You need to get some rest. Today, or technically yesterday, was quite long."

"I'm alright. I want to keep you company for a while."

I smile back. "Thank you, Pixal. I love you."

"I love you too Zane," she says, smoothing out my hair, "What's the matter?"

She must have seen my concerned face so I might as well tell her what's on my mind. "After all of this is over…will you still…marry me?"

"Of course I will," she responds without hesitation, and hugs me gently.

I return the embrace, still feeling fear creeping upon me. What if everything is not okay? What if we…are not okay? Words my father read to me come to my mind at the moment. _Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself._

He's right. I shouldn't worry about it until then, except that it is tomorrow already. "Pixal, where is Lloyd?" I ask her.

"Hmm? Oh, he told me that he was going to take a walk."

"Why would he do that? Doesn't it sound a bit strange?"

"You're right. It does seem a bit unusual to walk at this hour. Perhaps I ought to contact him."

"I'll do it," I tell her and grab the cellular phone next to my bed on the white dresser and I dial Lloyd's number. The phone rings six times before someone picks up, but all I hear are two sounds: a clink of metal and some kind of rain-like noise in the background. "Hello? Lloyd, are you there?"

No response. "Lloyd, can you hear me?" Utter silence.

I sigh, about to hang up when a weak voice answers. "Z-Zane? I'm-I'm…here. Ah!" I hear a blunt sound and another clink of metal.

"Where are you?" I ask anxiously, while pressing the record button on the phone.

"I'm in between the buildings of the…ah!" I pull my ear away from the ear-piercing scream.

I hear coughs and more blunt sounds before I hear another, deeper voice speak. "We will contact you again. If you call the police we will kill the green ninja."

"No!" Lloyd screams in the background and is cut by the phone being hung up.

I hang mine up, staring at it in fear, "No…Lloyd."

"What the matter?" Pixal asks, standing up with wide, emerald eyes.

"I think he's been kidnapped, and possibly injured."

Pixal gasps in horror, covering her mouth. "Would you please get the others?" I ask. She nods, and quickly leaves the room, returning in a few minutes with everyone trailing behind.

"I heard Lloyd's in trouble," Kai says.

"What's going on?" Sensei Wu asks.

"Yeah, is he okay?" Jay adds.

"Quiet! Let him speak!" Garmadon shouts. Everyone stops and I grab my phone; then press the "button" on the touch screen to play the recording.

_"__Where are you?" I ask._

_"__I'm in between the buildings of the…ah!" Lloyd screams and coughs._

_"__We will contact you again. If you call the police we will kill the green ninja," a deep voice says._

_"__No!" Lloyd wails._

The recording ends and everyone simply stares at me, from disbelief perhaps. Jay, of course, is the first one to break the unbearable silence. "How could that be? How could he be caught? He's the green ninja!"

"He gave us our powers after the techno blades were used, which were his only means of adequate protection," I tell them.

"Why did he go out anyway?" Cole asks.

"And how come he didn't say anything?" Kai finishes.

"My son will be okay," Misako tries to convince us while clutching onto her husband's arm.

"I told you before!" Sensei Garmadon gets into Sensei Wu's face. "It was dangerous for Lloyd to give up his golden powers!"

"Please stop it you two!" Melissa shouts as she and Kai pull the men apart.

"So what now?" Pixal asks and all eyes turn to me.

**Just so everyone knows, I will PM replies for reviews for people with accounts and reply to guest reviews on the story from now on.**

**Fireice: I hope not either, but the plant is common in the U.S. so it will be pretty easy to come across any of them unfortunately.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Video and the Instructions

**Thank you for the reviews. :)**

**FireIce: I've noticed that as well. Usually on the show, Kai and Zane come up with the plans more often than Cole, even though he's the leader. **

I return the stare at them, considering our options. "I think it would be best to notify the authorities because I know how this works. The police can track the kidnapper's location by the phone call, so it may be of help in finding Lloyd," I say, waiting for their separate reactions, since each individual has a different personality.

"Yeah! That sounds great!" Jay exclaims and grabs the phone by the bedside. "I'll notify them right away."

"No!" Kai yanks it away from the lightning ninja and tells us, "It's too risky. What if the kidnapper gets agitated and brings harm to our brother?"

"Kai's right. We need to wait this out and find out what the men or men want from us," Sensei Wu chimes in.

"Yeah, he could be in a lot of danger," Cole adds, "It sounded like he was injured on that recording."

"Actually, he sounded like he was being beaten," Melissa notes.

"If things go awry or they don't give us Lloyd the first time, we will call the police," I give in.

"Okay," Misako says, taking the phone from Kai and setting it back where it was.

"Well, we better get some rest. How about we each take turns waiting for the call while everyone else sleeps?" Pixal suggests.

"Sure. I'll take the first watch," Sensei Garmadon volunteers.

**7:30 A.M. -2 Hours and 15 Minutes Post the Call**

I haven't been able to sleep at all. I've been trying to think of the possible scenarios of what could happen if the kidnapping went wrong and how to fix them. The possibilities are numerous and most are certainly fatal, unfortunately. What can I do to save him? What can _we_ do to get him back alive and well?

I glance at a snoring Kai on the floor and realize this will be my watch. The others insisted on all sleeping in this room in case someone came after me, which I highly doubt at the moment. If they-whoever those people are-have my brother, they will not go after any of us yet, I hope. The phone rings and my hand is instantly grabbing it, and I shout, "Wake up! It's the call!"

Kai, Jay Cole, Sensei, Misako, and Marcy are up immediately, but the others are sleeping like a rock. "Well?" Jay says rubbing his eyes sleepily, "Aren't you going to answer it?"

I press the button and put it on speakerphone. "Hello?" _Okay…why did I say that?_

"Come to Jamanukai village, alone, without any of the other ninja and bring a clay pot with a lid," a deep voice tells me, "If do not have it there within six hours, this will happen." The phone hangs up.

"Okay…what the heck?" Jay breaks the awkward silence.

Beep! I look at the cell phone and see I've received a video. "What is it?" Kai asks as they crowd around my bed, and I press play. On the screen, Lloyd appears, sitting against a concrete wall, with his hands behind his back, meaning he must be tied up. A cloth is in his mouth and his face is a pale as a sheet of paper, even his lips are white. He looks up, with his green eyes bloodshot and his clothing torn and with a little bit of blood, but he mostly has bruises on his face.

A man all dressed in black with a mask on is holding a metal rod, and slams it into Lloyd's chest. The green ninja cries out in pain and doubles over, coughing up blood that drips on the floor, and the kidnapper kicks his side. "If you fail to deliver it…" the attacker says and pulls out a knife, holding it up to Lloyd's already bruised throat, "he won't make it out alive." He pulls the boy's gi off his left shoulder, which is already purple and red, and slowly drags the blade across the upper part of his arm, directly below his shoulder.

The video ends. "No Lloyd," Misako gasps, tears running down her cheeks as Garmadon embraces her.

"Do you have any clay pots?" I ask the bewildered couple.

Garmadon nods, "On the counter."

"Okay. I'm going alone," I announce, getting out of my bed, but when my feet touch the floor, Kai grabs me. "I have to do this, please. Let go of me."

"You're sick," the fire ninja states the obvious.

"I know."

"You cannot go out in such a vulnerable state," Marcy tells me.

"I have to," I insist, "If I don't, they will kill Lloyd. Please, he doesn't have much time left."

"Okay, but promise me you will be find and you'll come back in one piece," Jay pats my back as Kai releases me from his grip.

"You need help?" Cole asks me while I stand, finding my entire body achy and weak, though still able to move.

"I'm okay," I reassure him.

I get the pot and take one of the hover cars. On the way to the village, the phone starts ringing again, and I pick it up. "Hello?"

"Zane?" a familiar voice asks and I nearly drop the phone.

"Where are you?" I say.

"I don't know, but I think something bad is going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"Just be careful. This might be a trap."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Double Traps

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! :) Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago or Shell gas station. :D **

**FireIce: I guess he has. Maybe he's for the leading and not the brain stuff.**

"Are there any unique markings or details about the place you are being held?" I ask, hoping he's okay and that I can find him as I press the recording button again.

"There's a-wait a minute. Don't hang up or say anything," Lloyd says and I hear a shuffle.

"What do you have behind your back?" a voice demands.

"Nothing except my hands that you tied behind my back," Lloyd retorts in an irritated tone.

I hear a smack and heavy panting, probably from the green ninja, and the man's voice sounds like his teeth are gritted. "Don't play with me, kid. I am not dumb."

"I know, right?" my brother's sarcastic voice concerns me deeply. He's going to be in real trouble if he doesn't learn to keep his impudent mouth closed shut, but…poor kid. How many things has he gone through at such a young age? He's only about twelve at the moment, but has gone through things even adults should not have known.

"Silence!" I hear another slap and another sound, perhaps a blow.

Someone spits and Lloyd responds, "You're going to pay for this when my brothers find you!" I get it now. He's distracting the kidnapper's attention from the cell phone, so this is a precarious situation. I have to remain silent.

"Are you just going to let him mouth off like that?" a second voice that is a woman's shouts and footsteps are approaching.

I hear a blunt sound and a metal clinking sound, again. "Ah!" Lloyd cries out. More shuffling. I am going to go crazy if I can't find him and find out what's going on. Being a human has made me less patient apparently.

"Why…are you…doing this to…me?" Lloyd coughs violently and chokes on something, which may be blood.

I hope he's okay. The sooner I get this over with, the better. A sudden sickness assaults my stomach, and that unpleasant, yet familiar feeling of something wanting to shove its way up my throat returns. I glance at the road ahead of me, seeing a gas station next to me, and turn off to that direction.

"Move away from the wall," the woman's voice tells him.

"Do…you-think I…can?" Lloyd coughs again as I park the hover car, and quickly open the door; then take my seatbelt off while I press the speaker button.

I put the cell phone in my pocket and hear more shuffling before darting off the concrete, onto the grass. Next to the station, I retch, releasing a pale, yellowish, as well as bitter, substance on the ground. It's repulsive. I just wish the sickness would leave me and I could find Lloyd, but all I do at the moment is release more that forced its way up my throat. I shut my eyes, feeling a swoon and a third wave of nausea attacks me, before I hear that woman's voice saying something, but I do not catch the words.

"Is anyone here?" the voice asks.

I wipe my mouth and open my eyes, pulling the phone out; then respond, "This is Zane Julien."

"Zane Julien, are you close to the village?" she questions me.

"Yes."

"Where are you?"

"At the," I glance at the sign of the building next to me and tell her, "Shell gas station."

"My man is coming to pick you up." The phone hangs up and I stop the recording.

I put it in my pocket and close my eyes before I go for another round of nausea and throwing up. _How long will this last? _I open my eyes again; to see a bit of blood mixed in with the substance I just expelled and touch my burning and aching forehead. I just hope I will be able to do this, until he's safe. I stumble back to the car again, and grab two plastic containers from the cup holder, filled with white powder, setting them on the seat next to me. I lean my head back, waiting for the accomplice to pick me up, always on the verge of leaping out of the vehicle and finally close the driver's door.

Someone taps on the window on my side, and I flinch, before turning and seeing a little brunette girl of about ten. I roll the window down and she asks kind-heartedly, "Are you lost?"

"No," I respond, giving her a fake smile. She's a cute little kid, but right now all I need to worry about is rescuing Lloyd at the moment. The person could show up at any time and this child could be in peril.

"Then why are you out here?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"A girlfriend?" she asks.

"No, a friend. I already have someone," I tell her, showing her my gold ring.

"Sweet! Bye now!" she waves at me and takes off her little braids bouncing up and down as she runs.

_That did seem a bit strange, but perhaps I'm worrying too much. Sighs. Where are you Lloyd? _I spot a black hover car pulling up next to me a few minutes later and a man, wearing a black coat, and a black cap that is low enough I can't see his face walks up to the vehicle. I slip the white powder under the driver's seat and he comes in the passenger's side.

"Drive. I'll tell you where to go," he says curtly.

I drive with him in the tense atmosphere for about ten minutes, all the while wanting to ask him questions, but not daring to speak. My nausea is another concern at the moment, though I try to ignore it as much as possible. I keep driving, yet when the village comes into view, he tells me, "Turn to the right." My sixth sense goes off.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Always Trust a Sixth Sense

"Where are we going?" I ask, glancing at the man with suspicion. My sixth sense keeps warning me that something is not right. _Well, of course having a kidnapped brother isn't right, but there's something else that makes me uneasy, though I can't put my finger on it, so to speak. I've picked a few things from the others, such as figures of speech, or metaphors. Wait. Why am I trailing off? _I peek at the rearview mirror, noticing that green hover car has been following us for quite a while.

Perhaps it's my family, or perhaps my imagination is getting the best of me. I hope the others are following me, yet that could lead to disaster as well. "Those people," the man points behind him, "are your friends, aren't they?"

"I don't know," I respond truthfully, "I came alone, I think."

"You think?" he repeats, cocking his head to one side, only bringing more tension in the air.

"What I'm saying is that I cannot keep anyone from following me. I really was intending to come alone."

"Just shake them off."

I don't know exactly how to 'shake them off', but I do my best, though feeling rather indignant as well as afraid. What if I really do lose them? What if Lloyd and I die alone? I shove those thoughts to the back of my mind and concentrate on the road, turning at unexpected moments, moving as if I'm going to the right, but head to the left, and so forth. I look in the rearview mirror only to be faced with a horrible realization. The vehicle is not in sight, which is both good and bad, and quite alarming.

I keep on driving, possibly for fifteen minutes or so, yet it seems like an eternity, until the man abruptly holds out a hand in front of me, saying, "Stop the car." I do, and he gets out before turning to me with an impatient expression. "Well? We don't have all the time in the world, do we?"

I could use a sarcastic retort, but I'm in enough trouble right now, so it's best not to invite more. "I need you to bring Lloyd out," I tell him, staring directly into his hazel eyes, which meet my blue ones with a harsh look.

"What did you say?" he asks, seeming as if he might flare up at any given moment.

"I said," I repeat, gripping the driver's wheel tightly out of both anger and fear, "I need you to bring Lloyd out."

He chuckles for a moment before responding in a screech. "Like heck I will! You can meet him yourself!" He points to a concrete building about fifty feet away from us and lowers his voice, getting back in the seat until his face is inches away from mine. "Now, there are two ways to settle this," I feel his hot breath trembling with rage as he pulls something out of his jacket pocket, my best friend. _Oh great! I love knives!_

"The easy way to do this is to get your butt in there and bring Lloyd out," I tell him, merely hoping this man won't play with the blade.

"Okay, Nindroid. I'll bring him out alright," the man responds, putting his weapon away and heading for the building. He enters in soon, and I tap my fingers on the steering wheel nervously, also chewing on my bottom lip. After about ten minutes, Flare (that's what I call him) returns, with a teen in green slumped over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. I feel a sudden urge to leap out of the car and attack the man who harmed my brother, but I control myself, knowing I have a better chance if I stick to my plan.

I reach under my seat, pulling the plastic, powder containers out, and set them behind me; then wait anxiously for the two, yet notice something that will make this difficult. Two more men, dressed in the same fashion, are trailing behind him, each holding a metal rod in his right hand. I open the car door, stuffing the small powders in my jeans pocket, and grab the clay pot I had almost forgotten; the men approach them with rage burning deep within my heart, my human heart that pumps real blood. We stop a few feet away from each other, each eyeing one another. "I brought him, so get your butt in that building," Flare demands.

"You are on no terms to negotiate with me," I respond.

"What's this kid saying?" an African American man laughs before abruptly getting in my face, grabbing my shirt. "I'll get you to comply alright, boy. Now listen carefully because I will only tell you once. There is no way that my brother's and I are going to-" He never finishes his sentence.

I make use of the opportunity and slam the clay pot into his face, shoving him into the other kidnapper that doesn't have the green ninja. Both stumble backwards and Flare casts Lloyd on the ground next to him, throwing a kick at me. I catch his leg with one hand and quickly jab an elbow into his side; then shove him off balance. As he topples over, I pull out the powder containers, and throw them on the grass. Instantly white is everywhere, covering all of us and creating the perfect smokescreen. _It's now or never!_

I pick Lloyd up somehow, on my back, and quickly bolt to the hover car, shoving him through the passenger side, slamming the door, and getting into my side. As I turn the key in the ignition, I hear an ear-piercing boom and feel searing pain in the back of my left shoulder. Despite the wound from what-I-presume-is a gun, I take off immediately, driving the hover car faster than I have ever dared, due to safety concerns, which the others laugh at me for. This will be the first time I drive like a maniac and most of my family won't be here to see it.

"Zane, what happened? Did you save me?" I glance next to me to see Lloyd sitting up with some difficulty and strapping himself in with the seatbelt. My senses still tell me something is wrong, but I am glad to see my brother safe again.

"Your shoulder," Lloyd points.

At the mention of that I wince, partially from pain and partially because I just realized something. "You never strapped yourself in without bring told. It's nice that you finally learned," I say, glancing at him again, and do a double-take. _Were his eyes red? _I think I saw them change color for a split second before the last words from Clive echo in my mind.

_Remember the red eyes._

I look at Lloyd again, but the fear goes away immediately. It's him. He's my brother even if my sixth sense is going off. I must be getting too suspicious or something because I know it's him.

**No P.O.V.**

"What's going on?" Lloyd asks, lifting his head off the cold concrete that he's been held captive in for too long. "Where's my family?"

A girl that resembles Victoria comes up to him, getting on one knee, and slaps his face. It stings. "Victoria, why are you doing this?" Lloyd gasps.

"I'm not Victoria, I'm Carmel, and you do not need to speak unless you are spoken to. The inquisitive humans do not last very long."

**A/N: So…who do you think the person with red eyes actually is? Thank you and please keep reviewing! :)**

**Guest: You will realize what is happening…soon.**

**FireIce: This just means they're going the wrong way.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Stranger That Lives Here

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! :) I don't know why, but if I put an apostrophe when I put the P.O.V. Microsoft Word tells me it's incorrect grammar. By the way, I was going to put this up tomorrow, but I changed my mind. So without further ado:**

**Zane P.O.V.**

"I'm going to drive, so pull over," Lloyd tells me.

"No," I merely respond. For some reason, I feel uneasy with him, as if he's just…I don't know, not my brother. _Don't be silly. Of course I can trust Lloyd, but he's injured too._

"Why?" the green ninja asks, crossing his arms.

"You're injured."

"You are too."

"But you've been-" I gasp, clutching the steering wheel from another shock of sudden, more intense pain assaulting my shoulder.

"Let me drive," Lloyd insists and I quickly swerve to the right, avoiding a truck that beeps loudly. "Pull over, now or else we're going to crash at this rate."

He sounds somewhat irritated as well as concerned so I pull over again, next to the gas station, and open my door. I scoot to the left, but once my sneakers touch the damp grass I hesitate. If I stand up, I don't know if I will be able to walk when I get up. "Well, aren't you getting out?" Lloyd asks impatiently and I turn to him. He doesn't seem right and has never been like this with me, yet when his eyes meet mine, he seems to understand. "Here, let me help you," he offers, his face and voice softening.

He gets out of his side of the hover car and goes to mine; then helps me up by wrapping my right arm around his shoulder. We sort of hobble over to the passenger side, and I slip into my seat, knocking my wound into the side of the car. "Ah!" I gasp from the pain as I sit down in agony. _Breathe. Just breathe._

"You okay?" Lloyd asks as he straps me in with the seatbelt and makes his way to the driver's side.

He sounds polite and cold, not quite concerned about me, yet I must be thinking too much again. I lean my face against the dashboard, feeling my burning head cool down slightly before responding in a weak voice, "No." Most men merely say 'I'm okay', but I'd rather not put up the cliché façade.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" he offers.

"No!" I reply a little too quickly.

"Okay," he puts his hands up before turning the key in the ignition. "Do mind if I ask you why though?"

"People are after us, Lloyd. Don't you think they will not hesitate to attack us there?"

He doesn't respond and just starts driving again. We remain silent for a while, until the Monastery is in view and he asks me, "So…not meaning to bother you but I've always wanted to ask, how did your father freeze everyone when we were on that stretch of land after the bombing*?"

"He…I don't know as a matter of fact," I respond, feeling my throat constrict. My eyes start to become heavy from sorrow and a tear escapes, rolling down my right cheek. He's gone and now all I want to do is go into my room, the Bounty room, and cry all day and all night.

Lloyd must have noticed because he puts a hand on my good shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

I draw in a deep, shaky breath before saying, "It's okay."

"Can you get on my back?" Lloyd questions me.

"Are you sure?" I ask, "You'll get blood all over your clothes."

"Is that something you should be worrying about right now? Can you get on my back?"

"I'll try," I tell him while taking my seatbelt off and open my car door as the green ninja comes to my side. He turns his back to me, getting lower and I put both arms over him, swinging my legs over the side of the hover car. He grabs my legs and pushing me up onto a piggyback on him and walks to the door. He's stronger than before.

He knocks several times before the door opens, showing Pixal in her regular, yet gorgeous outfit. "What happened to him?" she gasps, backing away to let us in.

"He's been shot," Lloyd answers, bringing me into the living room to meet more astonished, as well as concerned faces.

"What happened?" Jay asks.

"Is Zane okay?" Kai says.

"He's been shot so clear the coffee table please," Lloyd responds in an irritated tone.

"Okay." Melissa and the fire ninja do as he says and the green ninja sets me down in a sitting position.

"What's going on? Gross!" a little girl in braids screams as she rushes into the room. I saw her at the gas station. "Cool!" she squeals and comes up behind me, "I want to watch."

"How come you're here? Where's your family?" I ask her.

"I lost them and they," she points to my family, "Are helping me find them."

I nod in understanding as Jay panics, saying, "What are we going to do?"

"Get the first aid kit and some scissors," Melissa instructs him and Kai.

They leave quickly and return in less than one minute. Kai hands Garmadon the scissors and Jay hands him the kit. I suppose they understand why we aren't going to the hospital and Garmadon says to me, "We don't have painkillers, so this is going to be extremely painful." I nod and he tells me, "I'm going to take off your shirt." He sets the first aid kit down and begins cutting the bottom of my what-used-to-be-white shirt, all the way up and removes it. "I am going to get the bullet out. Pixal, can you sterilize a pair of tweezers in alcohol?"

"I'm already doing it," she calls from the kitchen and returns with it.

"Hold him gently," Misako tells my brother's and they do.

Their grips seem tense, as if they are not certain how this will turn out, and the previous dark lord readies the tweezers. Melissa covers the child's eyes as I feel a sharp pain that increases every moment when the cold metal digs in my flesh, searching for the bullet. Pixal takes my hand and I squeeze it tightly and flinch. I can feel my blood is running down my bare back and someone is wiping it with a cloth. "You'll be okay Zane. Just hold on," Pixal says softly.

I give her a weak smile before stifling a cry as tearing pain assaults me again, this time far worse, enough that a tear slips from my eye. I tighten my grip on Pixal's hand, feeling so much intense pain that my vision does a quick blur before returning to normal. The tweezers pinch my flesh and I scream, lurching forward before strong hands pull me back.

*** The incident Lloyd mentioned was on the story Hunted.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Lodged Bullet

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! :) Sorry about the poetry alignment. It's not as easy to do on the computer compared to handwriting, which I did first.**

**FireIce: The untrustworthy guest thing is something the computer says, not the writers. Yes, something strange is happening.**

Everyone remains quiet throughout this necessary torture, though Jay always seems on the verge of screaming and running away. He's crying as well, for a different reason I presume. It hurts enough that I can barely stop myself from taking off and knocking myself unconscious, but I merely hold Pixal's hand as if I let go, someone will die. The tweezers pinch my flesh again and I gasp, still barely able to breathe. The blood that's draining from my body is making me weaker and weaker every passing moment.

"I almost have it Zane. Hang in there," Sensei Garmadon reassures me.

"Okay. Hurry please," I respond and bite down on my lip, hard enough it starts to bleed. Jay's face is as pale as a sheet of paper and his grip on my left arm tightens somewhat.

"Jay…calm down. It's going to be okay," I tell him before wincing from the tweezers again.

"I should be the one comforting you," Jay smiles sadly and his face returns to his previous expression.

"Do you need some sort of distraction?" Pixal asks. I nod, biting down on lip even harder. "Do you want me to read something to you?"

"Could…Melissa read?" I request, holding in a scream, "I…want Pixal to…stay…with me."

"Okay," Melissa responds and leaves the room, returning moments later with a poetry book. She begins reading in a soft, somewhat shaky voice.

_Oh, twas that solemn moment,_

_That wrenched a piece of my heart._

_O twas that cry of anguish,_

_That brought forth his evil art._

_A mortal he was and many men befell_

_His snare, and now no can tell,_

_Of his cunning malice, nor hate,_

_Yet had I known it would not be late,_

_To save my dear lover's life from imminent peril._

"W-wait a…minute," I interrupt her, "What about…Lloyd?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Let's take care of your injuries too, son," Misako apologizes and motions a hand to Melissa. "Help me please."

"Mom, I'm okay," Lloyd tells her.

"No you aren't. Look at how swollen your face is and all of that blood from your arm," Misako responds.

"I said I'm okay," Lloyd insists.

"Come with me now."

"No!" he shouts, knocking into his father and I feel a sharper pain all of a sudden where the bullet wound is. I cry out in pain and lurch forward again, pulled back by the others. "Fine, I'll do it myself," the green ninja shuffles out of the now silent room and Sensei Garmadon resumes digging the bullet out. _What is wrong with Lloyd? He hasn't been himself at all since we got in the car. The escape was just…too easy._

"Zane?" Marcy and Nya enter the Monastery.

"You okay?" I hear Nya asking me.

_Of course I'm okay. Losing lots of blood, being shot, and having someone dig a bullet out my flesh makes me perfectly fine. _"Do I look okay to you?" I respond, gritting my teeth from the pain.

"No, but what happened to you?" she asks, "Did you get Lloyd? Is he okay?"

"Yes…I-I got him, though he's…been t-t-terribly…beaten."

"What about you?"

"He's been shot," Marcy says, probably having observed the wound, "Am I correct?"

"Yes," Pixal responds.

"Where…have y-you b-b-both…been?" I gasp as the tweezers pinch my flesh again.

"I got it!" Sensei Garmadon exclaims and something metallic drops on the floor.

I sigh in relief, hanging my head down, gasping for air. "Now for the stitches and to disinfect the wound. I'll do it," Pixal announces.

_Oh no._

**No P.O.V.**

"I want…to…ask you s-s-something," Lloyd coughs up blood in his hands, which are now tied in front of his body.

"You're asking me after what you pulled off with the cell phone?" Carmel says.

"I have…a r-r-right t-to…know why Clive t-tried to kill…me."

Carmel smiles, thinking to herself, _this is going to be fun. _"Alright then. Why don't I tell you?" She ambles over to her captive and gets on one knee, staring at him with most eyes. "Clive was my sister, Victoria's husband."

"What? S-she said…he was…his n-nephew," Lloyd asks.

"She lied. Clive noticed you were talking to her and believed you fancied his wife, I believe. He was an insecure man so he must have tried to murder you because of that."

"I…but I…didn't l-l-like…h-her."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Stitches and Strange Torture

**A/N: This is the most often I have ever switched P.O.V. Again, thank you all for the reviews! :) I love you guys!**

**Zane P.O.V.**

"Thing will sting so hold this if you feel pain," Pixal hands me a small, green pillow. I twist my neck around, not all the way so I don't creep anyone out, and see her dabbing cotton ball on some disinfectant. I turn back and squeeze the pillow as she dabs the stuff on my wound.

I gasp, holding in a cry from the sharp sting. _She was not kidding. _"How long will it take for the stitches?" I ask.

"Not too long," she responds.

"Did you learn to sew people up or were you programmed to?" I ask curiously.

"Neither, but I do know how to do a no-show stitch. I scanned everyone else's skills and no one can."

"Oh," I say and bite my lip again from the lingering sting while Pixal ties three knots before threading the needle. _I don't know if this is a good idea._

"You up to this?" Cole asks.

"Yes," I tell him.

"Are you sure?" Kai confirms.

"I'm sure," I reassure him, though I'm not exactly confident about any of this. _I hope getting stitches isn't as bad as getting the bullet out. Fat chance._

Suddenly I start feeling dizzy as the room spins round and round. Something pricks my skin, sending a sharp pain in my body and I lean back, knocking into something cold. Everything starts to blur and refocus, blur and refocus, over and over again. "Zane, you okay?" Jay's anxious voice starts to dull.

"He's losing too much blood," Nya says, "Hurry up and stitch him."

"I'm on it," Pixal tells her and I feel more sharp pricks and my skin pulls tightly. I stifle a cry and squeeze the pillow tighter and tighter until it freezes. The cold feels good on my hands and my breathing slows a bit, calming me down.

"Is he going to be okay?" Melissa asks.

"He should be as long as he doesn't lose a lot more blood," Marcy responds.

"Are you saying he could die?" Jay exclaims.

"Jay!" Kai reprimands him, abruptly yanking my arm back and I flinch, crying out from the more unexpected pain that takes over.

"Sorry Zane!" Kai apologizes and touches my forehead before turning to Pixal. "He's burning up."

At that moment, Lloyd walks in front of me and he gives me a cold stare. His voice speaks to me, though his lips aren't moving and we communicate somehow.

_"__Go to sleep," Lloyd tells me in a creepily soft voice._

_"__No!" I scream in my mind, unable to say anything out of it._

_"__Go to sleep, Hawthorn" he repeats._

_"__No! What have you done with Lloyd?"_

_"__You will find out soon, so go to sleep."_

_"__No!"_

_"__Go to sleep."_

_"__No!"_

_"__GO. TO. SLEEP."_

_"__You…will…never…get…away…with…this," I mumble before everything turns black._

"Zane? You okay?" Jay's voice booms in my ear.

"Leave him alone. He needs sleep after having gone through all of that pain," Nya says, sounding a bit harsh, but she's being considerate.

I don't want to get up. I just want to sleep in peace for a long, long time and have some rest, without thinking of all of the disturbing incidents that have happened recently. I start to drift off when I hear a scream and cries that bring me back and open my eyes to meet blinding light. I adjust and see Nya leaving the room, bouncing a crying Emma in her arms. I roll my eyes before wincing in pain. I'm lying on my _back_, on my wounded shoulder, of course. Okay, perhaps I am getting too grumpy and I need to lighten up, but how can I?

"Did I wake you up?" Jay asks.

"It was Emma."

"Sorry about that. How are you feeling?" Kai asks me.

"Better. How long have I been out?" I inquire.

"For a day at least."

"What time is it?"

"11:30 A.M."

"I guess the morphine didn't help with your pain," Lloyd comments.

I stare at him for a moment before I say, "No. The effects must have worn off before I was shot."

"Do you need anything Zane?" Pixal kneels by the bedside and takes my hands in hers.

I smile at her and respond, "Just you."

"Zane's blushing!" Kai points at me and I pull on a straight face.

"Kai, who's blushing?" I ask rhetorically before bursting out laughing, though I don't know why. I wince again and request, "Will you help me sit up?"

"Of course," Pixal responds and helps me up into a sitting position.

"Were you following me?" I come straight to the point.

"Oh no. No, we didn't." Cole responds a little too quickly.

"Yeah, we were just sitting here worried sick about you!" Jay adds in.

"So…what happened to you both?" Melissa asks.

_"__Don't tell them anything," Lloyd says to me in my mind, but his voice sounds…different. I don't know what he sounds like, but he's not my brother._

_"__Why should I listen to you?" I demand._

_"__If you want Lloyd to live…then do as I say. I can have my woman snap his bones right now."_

_"__How can I believe you?"_

_"__Well, because I can do it to you."_

_My shoulder had a dull throb, but is now starting to feel as if it's on fire and the pain increases significantly. "Lloyd's" green eyes turn bight red and blind me before I hear another voice, remote, yet drawing near._

"Hello? Anyone home?" Jay asks, snapping me out of my thoughts and now I can finally move.

"Ah!" I gasp, clutching at my wound.

"No, not again," Jay mutters, but raises his voice enough that he supposes I can now hear, "You okay?"

"I think-ah," I feel my pain increase and I wince, biting my already hurting lip again.

_"__Are we clear?" Lloyd asks me in my head._

_"__No!" I shout._

_"__Then don't blame me."_

My breath is sucked away and I put both hands to my throat, gasping for air as his voice comes back into my head again.

_"__Are we clear?" Lloyd repeats._

_"__No!"_

My throat tightens enough I can't do anything except gasp for air.

"Zane, what wrong?" Kai asks.

"Get someone!" Jay exclaims.

"Give him air!" Cole shouts.

"Can you do it?" Melissa asks Pixal.

Pixal puts her lips to mine and blows breath in, but I think my windpipe is shut. I'm not receiving any air at all.

"He's not breathing!" Kai shouts, rushing out of the room.

_"__Are we clear?" Lloyd says a third time._

_"__No!" I repeat._

My vision blurs as I try to get air, but only find pressure in my chest, feeling my bones bending or something like that. I hear a crack.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Control

**A/N: I am thanking for the reviews again. I love getting them and since you guys like this a lot, I decided to post another one up today. Without further ado:**

"911! Somebody call 911!" Jay panics, running back and forth frantically. All I want is to be able breathe and for him to zip it.

_"__Do you seriously want to die? Just tell me we're clear!" Lloyd shouts, filled with rage, his red eyes now the only thing I can see._

_"__No…" I respond weakly._

_"__You're crazy!"_

The pressure leaves me and my windpipe opens. I can breathe and the red eyes disappear. I gasp in all the air I can and Pixal takes her lips away from mine, backing away. "Zane, you're alive!" Jay exclaims, running up to me with his arms spread out, coming in for a hug.

_This is going to be bad. Watch out! _

Before I can react, Pixal puts a hand in front of him and says, "Leave him be. I think he needs some air for now."

"Dispatcher are you there? We need an ambulance right away!" Kai hurries in the room on the phone while everyone else comes in behind him.

Breathing has never felt this good, as well as this bad, in my entire life, though of course I didn't always need it. I think this man posing as Lloyd broke something, one of my bones in my chest, making breathing a drag. Why did I ever want to be a human in the first place? "How…did you…have oxygen and carbon dioxide in you?" I ask Pixal, gasping for air.

"Mr. Borg built me as an assistant with life-saving functions as well as others," she responds, running a hand through my messy, blond hair. "We are taking you to the hospital."

"But-" I start to protest, yet she cuts me off.

"I know you and Lloyd are in imminent peril, but you need to be monitored, in case something like this happens again."

"I'll be fine."

"No, you won't be."

"Give me a chance. If this happens a second time, then take me to the hospital, please," I implore her.

"Well, what do you think?" Pixal turns to the others, who are trying to call 911.

"The phone isn't working!" Jay exclaims, dialing the number again.

"This is so frustrating!" Kai rants, throwing the red phone on the floor.

"Pixal is trying to tell us something guys!" Cole shouts, loudly enough everyone stops what he's doing.

"Thank you, Cole," Pixal says before continuing, "Zane said he wants to stay here, unless this happens a second time."

"No way!" Sensei Wu protests.

"He won't be safe," Sensei Garmadon adds.

"I will be fine," I reassure them.

"No, you won't," Nya insists.

"You can take turns watching him," Melissa suggests.

"Yes, please. Couldn't I stay? We won't be safe in a hospital either," I request.

"There is no way we are letting you stay here!" Jay proclaims.

**12:30 A.M.**

"Did you see the figurines at the restaurant where Clive was murdered?" I ask, shifting uncomfortably in my bed. No matter which way I lay, I still feel horrible pain that's always at the edge of my mind. I don't know how, but we, meaning Pixal and I, were somehow able to convince the others to let us stay here.

"No," Pixal replies, putting an elbow on the bed and resting her lovely chin in her hand.

"I…I saw something…strange that evening." _Should I tell her about the vivid scene or will that frighten her? Pixal is a very strong woman, but it was clearly disturbing. _The image of her crying in the Borg tower makes me think otherwise, though it may be significant.

"What?" she asks curiously.

"I…uh…saw figurines, one of which looked like me, with blood on him, and a knife was protruding from his chest." Pixal furrows her dark brows, seeming not to completely believe me. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I do, but I know that wasn't what you were going to originally tell me, was it?"

"No, I was going to say that I saw a vision of you-"

"Hey, it's my turn to watch," Lloyd interrupts us and turns to Pixal, "Go ahead and get some rest."

She looks at me hesitantly and I nod. "Goodnight Zane," she says.

"Goodnight, Pixal," I respond.

She goes to sleep on the floor where everyone else is and Lloyd sits in a chair next to the bed, staring coldly at me. _Nice. Now what does he want? _"I presume you have something to say to me," I speak softly so I don't wake the others up.

_"__No. Who said that?" Lloyd responds in my mind._

"Why aren't you speaking aloud?" I ask, finding this extremely suspicious.

_"__I don't want to bother wasting my breath, so I might as well do this with someone like you."_

"Who are you?"

_"__Your worst nightmare. My name was in a horror movie with a masked guy and a machete."_

I don't watch a lot of horror, so this might take a while. "Jack the Ripper?" I ask.

_"__No."_

"Chuckie the doll?" I ask, just to mess with him.

_"__Do I look like a doll with red hair to you?" Lloyd says, his eyes now red, clearly irritated._

"I'm not sure…maybe."

_"__Do you think this is funny? Okay, I'm tired of playing games, Nindroid, so I might as well tell you, Hawthorn! Do you recognize me now?"_

"Jason?" I gasp, my heart skipping a beat and I scream. "Get away from me!"

The dim lights in the room start flickering as my worst nightmare laughs, his voice becoming quite deep, filling the room with a sort of chilling horror. The door shuts with a click and the windows close and lock. Jason stands up, seeming to tower above me, and he says, "I have returned, for you."

"No!" I scream.

**A/N: Okay, this may have sounded strange, but this is not a haunted thing. I don't even know what Jack the Ripper is and I don't watch horror stuff. I made up Jason before I knew about the Jason movies and the only reason I knew that was because my mom read most of my first story and told me that I shouldn't have named him that; then showed me a trailer. Ugh…creepy.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Locked in the Dark

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and support! :) You guys are the best! This is for you all.**

"Get away from me, you monster!" I clutch my painful chest in fear, "Guys! Help me!"

"Don't bother calling them. I put something in their drinks," Jason says in a soft voice, leaning over the bed until his face is inches away from mine, his disguise disappearing, and his black hair touches my face.

"Help!" I scream again, but my voice is cut off. My lips move rapidly but I don't produce any sound, and I start to panic. _What do I do? What do I do?_

_"__You really are afraid of me aren't you?" Jason smirks, speaking in my mind again._

"No, I'm not!" I retort.

_"__You are. I can feel it. You are afraid of me, so…you haven't really changed from that cowardly child."_

"I am different!" I shout, clutching his arms and whipping into my ice tornado, but he catches me by my throat. _Oh, duh. I can't use Spinjitzu without Pixal!_

_"__You never learn, do you Hawthorn?" Jason mocks._

"Let go of me, or you will regret it," I say through gritted teeth as he pulls me off the bed.

_"__Sure, sure I will."_

"LET. GO. OF. ME," I demand, suddenly feeling stronger than I have been for a long time, and I grab his hands, squeezing tightly, pulling them off me with rage. The pain has vanished, probably because I am on an adrenaline rush, and I punch his startled face.

He wipes a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth and asks out loud, "Is that the best you can do?"

"Nope. I haven't tried hard yet," I respond, swing my fist at his face again, but he ducks, sweeping at my leg.

I jump, and land steadily on the floor; then throw a kick at him. He catches my leg and pulls me forward, slamming an elbow into my jaw as I head-butt him without either of us feeling pain in the slightest. Like I said, major adrenaline rush. I pull my leg down hitting Jason's kneecap. If I can be quicker than he and get more hits in, things should be okay, but I calculate the probabilities. _There's a 50 to 50% chance of my survival; that's not reassuring at all, though at least I still have a chance._

"You're better than I thought, kid," Jason says, "But you can't beat this."

I throw another punch at his face, but he grabs me arm and yanks me to the floor, pinning down. He's far stronger than I, yet I have probably dealt with more adversaries. He gets on my back, tearing my shirt partially open and rip off my bandage. I struggle under the man's heavy body and kick him between his legs as I feel a horrible pain for the first time since the fight. My shoulder wound. My assailant rolls of me, gasping and I try to get up, but only make it to my knees. I can feel something wet on my back and touch it. When I draw my hand back I can make out what looks like blood.

It's too dark in here. I need a light so I find the wall with my hand, fumbling for a switch for something. Nothing. "Zane, duck!" I hear a familiar voice shout.

I drop on al fours and hear a dull thud; then a warm hand touches my arm. "Zane, it's me, Lloyd. Are you hurt?"

_Lloyd, how could he be here? _I slowly start to get up and he helps me stand, leaning me against his shoulder. "I'm…okay, but I am injured."

"That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one," Lloyd comments before asking, "What happened to you?"

"I was shot," I respond.

"What? When?"

"When I went to rescue you."

"Is that why I heard a gunshot outside?"

I nod. "What happened to Jason?" I ask.

"The guy who had been attacking you?"

"Yes."

"I hit him with a rock. He's out cold."

"Could you turn on the lights? The others have been drugged."

"Okay. Hang on." The green ninja reaches for the light switch and I hear a flip. "Nothing. It's not working!"

"Let's try the door," I suggest and Lloyd wraps my arm around his shoulder; then we stumble blindly to the doorway, tripping over a snoring Kai who doesn't stir at all.

Lloyd tries opening the door, but it's locked, so he says to me. "Lean against the wall and I'll break the knob."

I do as I was told now being only a few feet away as the green ninja kicks it. I hear a clatter and a creak as Lloyd opens the door, peering out, and tells me, "All clear as far as I can see."

He wraps my arm around his shoulder again and we both make our way out the door, feeling in front of us. My shin hits something hard and I mutter, "Dang it."

"You okay?" Lloyd whispers and we both hit something cold, "What the heck?"

"What is it?" I ask.

"I don't know, but it's probably my mom's favorite antique chair."

Creak! Both Lloyd and I instantly whirl around, and hear someone's sneakers squeaking on the floor. "Who's there?" my brother and I demand in unison.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

An Unusual Conversation

**Iam so sorry about the chapter ****mess over. :( I didn't realize I repeated the chapter, so here it is. Thank you NinjaMelissa for telling me.**

"It's me," Pixal responds, only a few feet away from us.

"Pixal!" I rush up to her, ignoring my pain-ridden body, and throw my arms around her, squeezing her tightly. "Thank goodness! I thought someone was there to kill everyone!"

She hugs me back and says, "I don't know why, but I felt a bit drowsy before I went to bed."

"Wait. You said they were drugged, though. How come she's awake?" Lloyd asks.

"It probably did not affect her like the others," I tell him.

"What's going on?" Pixal says.

"The lights went out and you were drugged by the impostor of Lloyd."

"Impostor? Are you saying that someone's been posing as him? Since when?"

"Since I came back from "rescuing the green ninja"," I make quotation marks with my fingers.

"How did you escape?" Pixal turns to Lloyd as we let go of each other.

"Let's get the lights on and help the others before we go into explaining," he responds.

"Hello? Is this thing on?" a woman's voice echoes throughout the vast Monastery, drowning out all other noises, yet it sounds as if she's speaking into a microphone. "Hello?"

"Uh, who are you?" Lloyd asks, sounding unsure of this.

"Hey, Wentworth! Get over here and see if this is working cause I can't hear anything!" the voice shouts. I hear someone shuffling and muffled speech before she resumes speaking. "Good morning Zane Julien, Lloyd Garmadon, and Pixal Craft."

"Good morning?" Pixal says like a question.

"How are you doing?" she inquires.

"May I ask what you are doing?" I question her.

"Alright. This morning you three and the others will experience something new in the ninja career. What time is it right now?"

"The electricity is off," Lloyd states.

"Do you have an analog clock?"

"No."

"Then I will do it for you. It's…12:36."

A ticking sound comes over the microphone and we hear paper shuffling before the woman clears her throat. _Is this a joke or is this someone who doesn't know what she's doing?_

"When the clock strikes 5:00 A.M. the lights will come back on and you will have survived. Now, there are several rules you must follow. Number one: if you kill any of _them _you will have five seconds taken away for you to leave. Number two: if any of you sheds blood from your own that touches the floor, or anyone else's body, five seconds will be added to extend the game. Number three: protect your family, ninja. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Lloyd says, "Why the heck would we do this?"

"Do you have a choice? You're locked in right now."

"If I broke the doorknob, why can't I get break the other ones?" Lloyd retorts.

"Try."

"Okay. I will." The green ninja leaves Pixal and I to hold each other's hand, waiting for him to return. We hear a muffled noise and a sharp, but quiet 'dang it'.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, I just knocked into something," Lloyd calls back, "I found the door." I hear him kick something and a cry of pain.

"Lloyd?"

"I'm okay, but this door…it's not opening and I hit something sharp."

"Five seconds," the woman over the microphone announces.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Pixal asks.

"I'm fine. I just cut my foot a bit on the top," the green ninja responds.

"Ten seconds."

"Wrap your foot in something," I tell him and come over slowly, so as to avoid hitting something, holding Pixal's hand.

"Fifteen seconds. Twenty seconds. Twenty-five seconds."

"Where's the blood coming from?" Pixal says, "Is that from you Lloyd?"

"No, not the last three at least," he responds as we near him, tearing a piece of his green sleeve, and wrapping his foot in it.

"Pixal, can you check my shoulder?" I request.

My eyes are blinded for a moment by a bright, neon green light, emanating from the lovely droid's eyes. She goes behind me and touches my shoulder gently. I flinch. I think Jason must have reopened it, and it's now hurting terribly. "You're bleeding," she tells me, "I need to redo your stitches, but for now we better stop the blood from pouring out. Sit down."

I do as she says and she takes off my shirt, before removing the first bandage. It wasn't on my wound anymore so it didn't hurt. She tears a strip of purple cloth from her long dress and begins wrapping it around my shoulder. "Wait," I gasp in pain, holding a shaky hand up.

"Yes, is there something wrong?" Pixal asks.

"Just…give me a minute."

"I have to stop you bleeding out. I'm sorry Zane," she replies and keeps wrapping the wound.

"Watch out!" Lloyd shouts and Pixal and I turn to see a blade over my head, coming down.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Nindroids!

I grab Pixal and roll to the left by instinct as the sword strikes the floor. We both leap up and hook each other's arms, and I heave her up, nearly falling over from sudden pain, and she kicks at the enemy as we spin in a circle. White ice engulfs us, but the attacker vanishes before any of us can hit it, and before I can identify it. We stop and I put her down, and I feel my face being punched. I back up, wiping the corner of my mouth, glancing back and forth yet see nothing except Lloyd rushing up to us.

"You guys okay?" he asks.

"Something's in here!" I exclaim and something cold and metallic hits my face again. I feel like something like a pair of hands grabbing my head and I am slammed face first into the round corner of the countertop. My eyes automatically shut tightly as my forehead smacks into it, and I reopen my eyes as I'm pulled back. I'm thrown into Lloyd's arms while Pixal is hit in her stomach.

"Get away from Pixal!" I shout before a Nindroid appears, pulling out two katana from their holster.

"Cryptor!" I exclaim as he shoots a laser out of his eye.

Lloyd and I drop to the floor and I glance at the counter, spotting a frying pan. I get up darting to it and grabbing it; then dive for the droid's head. I feel nothing but rage. _No one_ hurts Pixal. He swings both blades at me from left and right, coming inwards and I duck. I leap up and kick his metal, masked face and hit his throat with the pan. It may sound silly to use such an object, but anything can be used for combat.

I quickly slam my weapon into his hand and grab one of the katana, throwing the pan on the floor. Cryptor's sword clashes against mind and he smirks, "You're getting better, ninja."

"I don't attack anyone unless they try to harm my loved ones. If you hurt them, I will rip you into pieces, even with my bare hands," I respond, pushing him away and swinging the blade at his face. He dodges it and sweeps the weapon at my feet. I leap up and slash him arm; then jump on him, grabbing his throat with my legs wrapped around his waist.

"Nindroids!" Lloyd exclaims and picks up the pan as General Cryptor topples under my weight.

Pixal picks up the droid's sword he had dropped and he attacks another robot. I pick up the blade I had let go of and stab his shoulder, pinning him to the floor. I glance to my left to see a laser coming towards my head and duck then leap at the droid, pulling the sword out of General Cryptor's shoulder. I slice the robot's throat and yank out its wires and gears. Two Nindroid's rush at me and I blast ice at them freezing both in their tracks. I turn back and freeze a laser midair that came from the General's eye. He shoots again and I freeze it before he jumps up, wrapping his legs around my throat.

_There's only one thing I can do now. _I stumble under his weight, but slam his body into the countertop, yet he won't budge.I slam him into it again and then throw myself forward, making me hit him, while he ends up on the floor underneath me. I pick up the katana again and slash the droid's chest, then fumble for his power switch. I turn him off and get off him, feeling a pleasant adrenaline rush as I stab the back of the Nindroid that's attacking Pixal.

We hook arms again and go over the same process, alternating between which one of us does the kicking, and when we stop, all are down as Lloyd stops his as well. The woman speaks. "Ten down. That saves you fifty seconds, ninja."

I grab Pixal's hand and whisper, "Come on Lloyd." He follows us back into our room where the others are sleeping soundly, oblivious to the attacks.

"Put them in the closet," Lloyd instructs us. We drag all them in and hide in the large closet ourselves, shutting the door. I hold Pixal's hand, hers trembling, and I lean against the wall in the back, yet feel something cold on my shoulder. I touch it, feeling a thin, sort of stubby object, attached to something larger. I run my hand along the cold thing where it thins out slightly, until I touch something sticky, and wet.

Once I realize what _it_ is I shrug it off frantically and cover my mouth to prevent a scream. It's colder than anything, without a trace of humanity. It's…dead.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

A Cold Body

"What's the matter?" Pixal whispers.

"It's dead!" I whisper back frantically, backing away from the cold body behind me.

"What's dead?" Lloyd asks.

"I don't know," I respond, "but it's a body. I can sense it."

"Human?"

"I don't know, but most likely not."

"Animal?"

"Let's take a look," Pixal suggests, shinning her neon beams from her eyes, pinpointing onto a piece of meaty flesh on the wooden floor. I pick it up between my index and thumb and observe it. It's squishy and has hair on it. I drop it before parting several coats in the middle of the closet to see Victoria's body, limp and sitting against the wall with a hand pointing on the floor. There's no blood on any wounds, yet her mouth is open as if she had screamed and pointed at her killer at the last moments of her life. I touch her cold face. It's red with dried blood on her nose and her face is red as well.

"She died of asphyxiation*," I announce, standing up, only to bump my head on the roof.

Creak! We turn instantly and Lloyd whispers frantically, "Turn of the lights!" Pixal's eyes shut and when she reopens them the color becomes a normal green.

Footsteps. Metal slides on the floor that brings a chill in my very bones, and another, slow, ominous creak. More footsteps.

We hear more creaking on the floorboards as a young girl's voice begins to sing. "Jason, oh, Jason, wake up. Wake up from your deep slumber and see your icy ninja die, and your dying wish be fulfilled before you join Jane…and Grandmother. Wake up and wrap your hands on Zane's throat. Squeeze him until he dies before your very eyes. Wake up."

A crash of some fragile object brings the sense that Jason is…awake and…alive.

"Lloyd," I whisper, "Did you kill Jason?"

"I'm not sure, but he may have survived."

The three of us huddle together, now crouching on the floor, hugging each other tightly. There's some kind of shuffling noise like the window is being opened, and wind blows in, most likely making the curtains flap.

Everything is cold, lifeless, except Pixal, Lloyd, and I. Even the others seem dead, without breath, yet I know they are still here. They're alive, but not for long. "Zane," I freeze, utterly petrified as Jason calls my name. "Zane, where are you? Why are you hiding?" Drip. Drip. Drip.

I peek through the doors to see blood dripping on the floor, from Jason's head. _How did he survive the hit?_

"Come out. Come and fight me," he whispers in a hiss, "I want you to join Jane, Grandmother, and I. Come out or else I'll find all the ones you love…and kill them, one by one."

I feel this sudden urge to come out there and proclaim that I will join him, in the lake of fire, but…what about my family? They wouldn't be able to cope with it. There's only one thing I can do and that is to get rid of Jason, no matter how I do it. I have made up my mind. I will kill him.

"Stay her and don't come out no matter what happens," I say to the two.

"What are you doing?" Pixal grabs my arm with wide eyes, trembling out of utter fear.

"This won't ever stop unless Jason is gone," I tell her, "I love you both. Don't ever forget that." I pull them into a tight embrace, letting the tears I held for so long to flow freely. We stay like for a few moments before I pull away from them, wiping my face and cupping Pixal's cheeks in my hands before pressing my lips to hers, my farewell. It may not be the end, but I know one of us will die. I let go of her and get up, sliding the door open.

_It's just you and me Jason._

**The End…Until the Sequel, which will be 'A Nindroid's Tears: Forgotten 4! :)**

**A/N: Thank you readers for your wonderful support. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you all. :D**


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